JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The new First Coast No More Homeless Pets’ (FCNMHP) low-cost veterinary hospital opened Monday on Jacksonville’s Westside.
The new 10,000-foot facility on Cassat Avenue will be able to serve triple the number of pets as FCNMHP’s current clinic on Norwood Avenue. The facility, which includes the Mary Lou Russell Animal Welfare Complex and the Joseph A. Strasser Veterinary Hospital, has 12 exam rooms, a dental lab, surgery suites, intensive care and isolation rooms, a lab and pharmacy and a pet grooming area.
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Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, director of community affairs Dr. Charles Moreland, FCNMHP executive director Rick DuCharme and donors were in attendance at Monday’s ribbon cutting ceremony.
“When we started to look around for a second location, it became obvious that there was one part of Jacksonville that was a desert for veterinary services,” DuCharme said. “This will be one of the largest veterinary hospitals in the country, treating an area that is underserved and in need of low-cost, high quality veterinary services.”
As part of the celebration ceremony, Petco National Adoption program manager Karen Meader presented a $292,500 check from the Petco Foundation for the new hospital and FCNMHO’s mega and super adoption events.
To celebrate the new facility, FCNMHP will be offering a free rabies vaccine and exam for the first 500 clients at either the Cassat Avenue or Norwood Avenue locations. Pets must have a city license to receive the vaccine, which is available for $20.
The facility will normally be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.